The Philadelphia Phillies put outfielder Bryce Harper into the leadoff spot for Thursday night’s down against the Washington Nationals with expectations of returning a flash to the highest point of their lineup.

Harper went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in the Phillies’ 7-4 misfortune. Cleanup hitter Rhys Hoskins was climbed to the No. 2 space in the request and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

“The thought process is, we feel like we’re a more successful club when we see pitches in the first inning,” supervisor Gabe Kapler said before the game.

He demanded it had nothing to do with Harper’s 4-for-24 battle over the past eight amusements, taking note of,”This was designed to spark the Philadelphia Phillies.”’

Since June 4, when Andrew McCutchen endured a season-finishing knee damage, Phillies leadoff hitters have positioned toward the end in the MLB in batting normal (.115), on-base rate (.220), slugging rate (.154) and OPS (.374). They likewise have just a single additional fair hit in 13 recreations.

McCutchen had a .378 on-base rate and .457 slugging rate before his damage, and was hitting .256 with 10 grand slams and 29 RBIs.

Harper hit leadoff multiple times with the Nationals, multiple times in 2013 and 12 out of 2018 when he was battling. He had a .217 batting normal in the leadoff spot a year ago yet homered multiple times.

This season, his first with the Phillies in the wake of marking a 13-year, $330 million contract, Harper is batting .243 with 12 grand slams and 49 RBIs.

Shortstop Jean Segura, who had battled in the leadoff opening, was dropped to fifth in the lineup and went 1-for-4 with a performance grand slam multi day after he neglected to hustle to initially base in the principal inning of Wednesday’s second game against the Nationals.

Kapler talked with Segura about the episode yet held back before sidelining him Thursday.

“I don’t think taking one of our eight best players, and our shortstop, out of the lineup is what’s best for the Philadelphia Phillies,” Kapler said.

Kapler tended to the circumstance by watching video of the wrongdoing with Segura on Wednesday. “He was accountable and strong in saying, ‘That can’t happen,”’ Kapler said.

The Phillies, who were cleared in a doubleheader by the Nationals on Wednesday, have lost four straight and eight of their previous 10 amusements. They trail the Atlanta Braves by 4½ amusements in the NL East standings.